Preview — The Little Prisoner
by Jane Elliott

The Little Prisoner: A Memoir

When Jane Elliott was four years old, the nightmare began. She became the helpless victim of a sociopath—bullied, dominated, and sexually abused by a man only fourteen years her senior: her stepfather. For nearly two decades she was held prisoner, both physically and emotionally. But at the age of twenty-one she escaped . . . and then she fought back.

The Little Prisoner isWhen Jane Elliott was four years old, the nightmare began. She became the helpless victim of a sociopath—bullied, dominated, and sexually abused by a man only fourteen years her senior: her stepfather. For nearly two decades she was held prisoner, both physically and emotionally. But at the age of twenty-one she escaped . . . and then she fought back.

The Little Prisoner is the shocking, astonishing, and ultimately uplifting true story of one woman's shattering twenty-year ordeal—and how she triumphed against an evil and violent human monster when honesty and bravery were her only weapons....more

Paperback, 288 pages

Published
July 22nd 2008
by Harper Perennial
(first published January 17th 2005)

Community Reviews

This was a very hard book for me to read. At first I did not really understand why she let him do that to her even when she was an adult but then I started thinking of her family. Real white trash. They terrorized the neighborhood and everyone was scared of them.We have families like that in The Netherlands too and people do not dare to complain cause they know they will be punished for it later. What annoyed me mostly was that the mom got off free. No punishment at all while in truth it was maiThis was a very hard book for me to read. At first I did not really understand why she let him do that to her even when she was an adult but then I started thinking of her family. Real white trash. They terrorized the neighborhood and everyone was scared of them.We have families like that in The Netherlands too and people do not dare to complain cause they know they will be punished for it later. What annoyed me mostly was that the mom got off free. No punishment at all while in truth it was mainly her fault. A mom is the one that should protect a child when there is no father or if a dad is abusive. if you cannot count on your mom, who can you trust? ...more

It was an amazing book. So powerful, and incredibly emotional. It helped me personally, too, for reasons I won't go into it. But I did not like it. I can not bring myself to like it. There is not much to like, and the terrifying thing is that it's a true story.

When I say there is not much to like, I mean the writing itself is fine, it's the memories that are horrible.

Yet I think it is one of those memoirs that a lot of people need to read. EspecialHow is anyone supposed to rate a book like this?

It was an amazing book. So powerful, and incredibly emotional. It helped me personally, too, for reasons I won't go into it. But I did not like it. I can not bring myself to like it. There is not much to like, and the terrifying thing is that it's a true story.

When I say there is not much to like, I mean the writing itself is fine, it's the memories that are horrible.

Yet I think it is one of those memoirs that a lot of people need to read. Especially people in their safe little bubble where only first world problems apply. Especially people who have gone through similar things.

I reiterate: this book was amazing, and if you're ready to face real-world issues and accept that awful things happen, sometimes for no reason, maybe you're ready for this book....more

Fuck this man and fuck the family, too. For Jane Elliott to do what she did, despite being under Richard's thumb for pretty much two decades of her life...

"Family comes first"? Seriously? Anyone who shields their family members from being punished under the full extent of the law when they fucking deserve everything coming to them is only enabling the scum of the Earth to roam free and further fuck up the system. Her brothers and her mother and other family members sending death threats and threatening messages and intimidating them. What is this, Appalachia? This is CIVIL society you're living in, you English trailer trash and with your attitude everyone would prefer if you'd just fuck yourselves with a molten tire iron and die.

A very powerful and moving book. I rarely get this amped up over a book unless I find it very horrible and insane and this was just that. I recommend this to be read by anyone who like "success stories" like David Pelzer's A Child Called It saga....more

VanessaHonestly I think we should just kill ppl like that, waste of space and we could live in a better world. Why do I want to mantain a bastard like him, nHonestly I think we should just kill ppl like that, waste of space and we could live in a better world. Why do I want to mantain a bastard like him, no way--- DEATH SENTENCE to all of them-...more
Feb 27, 2014 11:07AM

In A Note from the Author, Jane says that she initially wanted to write this book in the hope of inspiring other abused children to speak out and end the cycle of abuse.

And then, about six paragraphs later, this...

"...it’s surprising how quickly we both got used to having a number one hit and started to feel disappointed when it got knocked down to number two or three!"

I should have stopped reading then.

I found the writing flat and emotionless, which made the characters flat and emotionless. ItIn A Note from the Author, Jane says that she initially wanted to write this book in the hope of inspiring other abused children to speak out and end the cycle of abuse.

And then, about six paragraphs later, this...

"...it’s surprising how quickly we both got used to having a number one hit and started to feel disappointed when it got knocked down to number two or three!"

I should have stopped reading then.

I found the writing flat and emotionless, which made the characters flat and emotionless. It was difficult to relate to, or even feel any real sympathy for, Jane. I found I didn't particularly like her.

And the whole "names have been changed to hide their identities" made my eyes roll. Really, if you were so scared for your own safety, and that of your family and friends, wouldn't you do every thing in your power to live a quiet and discreet life, and attract as little notice as possible?

There is an abundance of these types of memoirs available, some good, some not so much. For me, this book ranks top of the list in latter.

What a heartbreaking story. It is horrifying to think what some people will do to children. The pain, both physical and emotional, inflicted on young Jane Elliot is beyond comprehension. One would not begrudge her a pity party and a lifetime of depression. However, Elliot shows a courage that is both admirable and humbling. It is always an eye-opening experience to read of such bravery and a good outcome coming out of such a horrid situation. As an adult, I can't believe that so many people refuWhat a heartbreaking story. It is horrifying to think what some people will do to children. The pain, both physical and emotional, inflicted on young Jane Elliot is beyond comprehension. One would not begrudge her a pity party and a lifetime of depression. However, Elliot shows a courage that is both admirable and humbling. It is always an eye-opening experience to read of such bravery and a good outcome coming out of such a horrid situation. As an adult, I can't believe that so many people refused to get involved in what they either knew or highly suspected was a toxic situation. Studies have been made that without intervention, the cycle of violencein families like this is never broken. Sadly, the epilogue of this book reaffirms that in no uncertain terms. Although these stories are terrible, writing them is most likely theraputic for the poor victims and reading them blows these incidents out into the open. Knowledge is power and people who abuse and control children thrive on keeping things secret. The more people know about these types of situations, the harder it is to keep them secret....more

This book was extremely good, just in case you didn't know, this book is based on a REAL life story but the NAMES have been CHANGED so their identities are hidden. This book is basically about a girl, since the age of four who has been told to "please" her step-father in more ways than one, and her family do nothing about it. In fact, by the end of the book they all hate her and try to kill her, even her cousin Tom who says that he loved her a week before. This is heart breaking to think that soThis book was extremely good, just in case you didn't know, this book is based on a REAL life story but the NAMES have been CHANGED so their identities are hidden. This book is basically about a girl, since the age of four who has been told to "please" her step-father in more ways than one, and her family do nothing about it. In fact, by the end of the book they all hate her and try to kill her, even her cousin Tom who says that he loved her a week before. This is heart breaking to think that someone could do that to a young girl, who doesn't know anything about the world. This book gives you an insight on life, and you need to read the prologue, it is horrendous about how scared she is and the threats Jane (that's the girls name) gets from her family and from her dad. Threats like: I'm going to slice your neck open and leave you for the whole village to see. What really made me upset though, I know it seems stupid, but the bar maid in the epilogue, she could've stopped Jane from getting beaten up, and it was HER fault, she could've let Jane stay in the safety in the bar, and when Jane comes into the bar after the beatings from her horrible FAMILY, the bar maid is in almost as big hysterics as Jane. She could've prevented it but she didn't. The bar maid needs to shut up!!!! I recommend this book for everyone from the age 12+. You need to take a look in the real world, but it seems to horrible to be true. When Jane was looking at her step father behind the glass doors, and she was crying "He's going to kill me!" I cried, because it was so heart breaking. Why would anyone make someone feel like that?! And her step father got a kick out of beating her, (No pun intended). He enjoyed it and when she didn't "Play along" as in screaming for her to stop he hit her harder, when she did scream for him to stop he hit her harder. It was a win/ win for the step dad either way. I suggest you read it whenever you get the chance, and if any of this has ever happened to you, tell someone. Jane waited a little long to tell the police because she was frightened, but at least she did it, but it took her 17 years. 17 YEARS! All that time, and he sexually abused her. Tell someone.This book is extraordinary, and a really good read....more

Poorly written and left me with more questions than answers. If you want a good child abuse book, with a heart warming end, I'd suggest you pick up a copy of "Punished" by Vanessa Steel. That is by far one of the best books of it's nature I've read, nothing has yet compared. Don't waste your time with this.

I've recently read the SADDEST book of ALL time! You don't believe me? CHECK IT OUT YOURSELF, THEN!

The book responsible for aggressively pulling at my heart strings is titled THE LITTLE PRISONER. It comes out in August, but I was able to get an advanced copy because I'm a intern at HARPERCOLLINS, who are the publishers of the book.

This book is a written memoir of the horrors a woman went through for 17 years of her life. It traces the life of a girl whReview ex-posted on my blog on Aug. 3, 2008:

I've recently read the SADDEST book of ALL time! You don't believe me? CHECK IT OUT YOURSELF, THEN!

The book responsible for aggressively pulling at my heart strings is titled THE LITTLE PRISONER. It comes out in August, but I was able to get an advanced copy because I'm a intern at HARPERCOLLINS, who are the publishers of the book.

This book is a written memoir of the horrors a woman went through for 17 years of her life. It traces the life of a girl who was dominated, bullied and abused both sexually and physically by her stepfather from when she was four years. She was able to escape at the age of 21 for the man she loved and her two daughters.

This isn't like other abuse stories, the step father in this story may be considered crueler and sicker than most....more

This was very eye opening. I wanted to put it away and not open it again so many times because it got hard but I read through it. My sister sat down with me and we read together in silence. It was a very good book tho

This was a book club selection; it spent a lot of time on the best seller list. One book club member said it was a truly awful read, a second refused to read it.

It is an easy read, like maybe three hours, easy to read in terms of quickness. It is hard to read in terms of content and style. The author is unlikable. Her story is awful, a story of abuse, physical, emotional and sexual, at the hands of her stepfather.

In my head, I know that kind of abuse does terrible things to a person, and probaThis was a book club selection; it spent a lot of time on the best seller list. One book club member said it was a truly awful read, a second refused to read it.

It is an easy read, like maybe three hours, easy to read in terms of quickness. It is hard to read in terms of content and style. The author is unlikable. Her story is awful, a story of abuse, physical, emotional and sexual, at the hands of her stepfather.

In my head, I know that kind of abuse does terrible things to a person, and probably that is why I have a problem liking the author or feeling sympathetic. I DO sympathize. And I still don't like the author. This will be an interesting discussion....more

Hard to rate a book like this. Ever since she was 4 years old, Jane has been abused by her stepfather. This book was raw and heartbreaking. I am upset with how even the community didn't help her. I found myself not being able to stop reading, crying for the little girl and cheering for the grown woman who has done everything she can to put her life back together again.

This book was interesting in the parts to where it opened the doors to show how some children to whose mom's boyfriend was abusive to the daughters in the co-existing relationships. The mother was not in her right mind because if she had been, the signs of abuse by the boyfriend would have been visiable to her. I do not like it that the mom did not protect her child(ren) in the way that she should have done. I also did not like the fact that when Jane came forward with the truth of the situationThis book was interesting in the parts to where it opened the doors to show how some children to whose mom's boyfriend was abusive to the daughters in the co-existing relationships. The mother was not in her right mind because if she had been, the signs of abuse by the boyfriend would have been visiable to her. I do not like it that the mom did not protect her child(ren) in the way that she should have done. I also did not like the fact that when Jane came forward with the truth of the situation, that her brothers beat her up. How dare this happen to Jane or anyone as a matter of fact. I am so apologetic about Jane having to be done the way she was while growing up, But I am very greatful for Jane coming forward to tell her side of the story and for being brave enough to stand up to the mom's boyfriend/husband. ...more

A very powerful story of a child's triumph, but clearly written by an amateur. That isn't the author's fault, of course - she is incredibly brave for sharing her story - but the publishers should have hooked her up with a ghostwriter or co-writer to make the book more professional.

I haven't read a book so quick in a while! This book cannot be judged, so I have not given it a star rating. It is written by a 'normal' person, not a professional author. A very sad story telling of her battles for freedom & justice.

In Harper Lee's novel "To kill a Mockingbird" once wrote "Remember it's a sin to kill a mockingbird". But what about abusing a child? Is not abusing a child deserve severe punishment?Frankly, I tried my best to finish this book as fast as possible since it depressed me knowing the details of her miserable life. Literally, I could not live her life for a couple of hours.Now I am trying to imagine how strong she is. Living this wretched life for 17 years since she was 4, keeping it a secret for alIn Harper Lee's novel "To kill a Mockingbird" once wrote "Remember it's a sin to kill a mockingbird". But what about abusing a child? Is not abusing a child deserve severe punishment?Frankly, I tried my best to finish this book as fast as possible since it depressed me knowing the details of her miserable life. Literally, I could not live her life for a couple of hours.Now I am trying to imagine how strong she is. Living this wretched life for 17 years since she was 4, keeping it a secret for almost one decade, then telling this story over and over and over, and finally writing this book. She is definitly a legendary woman. ...more

Chilling. This book may not be the most horrific (I'm looking at you, "A Child Called It"), but it had an authenticity that makes it even more painful to read. If this abuse didn't really happen--as is so common with memoirs like these--then I'll have been fooled. The sexual abuse, degradation, and physical violence this brave woman has endured are so beyond what I can imagine that I found it emotionally draining to get through this book. It seemed that she couldn't catch a break. While I apprecChilling. This book may not be the most horrific (I'm looking at you, "A Child Called It"), but it had an authenticity that makes it even more painful to read. If this abuse didn't really happen--as is so common with memoirs like these--then I'll have been fooled. The sexual abuse, degradation, and physical violence this brave woman has endured are so beyond what I can imagine that I found it emotionally draining to get through this book. It seemed that she couldn't catch a break. While I appreciated the book very much, I was glad to be finished with it. I challenge you to read this and not feel something for this ravaged soul. ...more

To say that reading this book was easy would be to tell a lie. Even though it only took me two sittings to finish it, it was probably the hardest book to read for me. I kept re-reading parts, just getting sick to my stomach over the awful sexual abuse that Janey had to endure under the control of her domineering, evil stepfather. Jane was unsure of exactly how much her mother was aware of when it came to the abuse. After all, “Family life provides so many little opportunities for grown ups to inTo say that reading this book was easy would be to tell a lie. Even though it only took me two sittings to finish it, it was probably the hardest book to read for me. I kept re-reading parts, just getting sick to my stomach over the awful sexual abuse that Janey had to endure under the control of her domineering, evil stepfather. Jane was unsure of exactly how much her mother was aware of when it came to the abuse. After all, “Family life provides so many little opportunities for grown ups to inflict pain on their children if they so choose” (Elliott 24).

Once Janey managed to get away from her mother and stepfather, she tried hard to provide a semblance of balance for her own family. It’s easy to become distracted with external stimuli than to focus on what’s going on in our own minds. “We were working so hard to create a nice family atmosphere for our girls, but the demons were still at work deep in my head, trying desperately to push me off the rails with the memories and the confusion and the anger and the guilt and everything else that had become entangled in there over the years. As long as I had a small baby to look after, though, I was too busy to really attend to the thoughts and emotions that were cluttering up my mind” (205).

At one point in her life, Janey began to develop a drinking problem in order to try to cope with her flashbacks. “So many things could trigger a bad memory or a panic attack – something the kids might say or a smell I recognized from my childhood – and pictures would come flooding back, reminding me of the things I’d fought so hard to forget” (210).

I have to say that I really admire Jane (her pseudonym for protection) for having the courage to finally speak out against her stepmonster and endure the trial that put him behind bars for 15 years. Even though going through the courts was re-traumatizing for her, “But despite everything I know I was right to speak out” (267). She knows that if her story can help just one person deal with her own trauma, she believes it was worth the pain of what she went through. Thank you, Jane, for telling your story....more

It s hard to imagine that the kind of evil described in The Little Prisoner happens, but tragically, it does happen. After reading this book, I thought I should wait a few days to write this review until shock of Jane Elliott s story wore off. Then I realized I am still in shock after reading A Child Called It so many years ago, and believe the shock of this story will never wear off just as the shock from the Pelzer books will never wear off. Anyone working with children should read this book,It s hard to imagine that the kind of evil described in The Little Prisoner happens, but tragically, it does happen. After reading this book, I thought I should wait a few days to write this review until shock of Jane Elliott s story wore off. Then I realized I am still in shock after reading A Child Called It so many years ago, and believe the shock of this story will never wear off just as the shock from the Pelzer books will never wear off. Anyone working with children should read this book, anyone afraid of reporting a child abuser should read this book, anyone that is interested in a survival story should read this book. This memoir is a horrifying account of some of the worst kinds of betrayals, a betrayal of a mother to her daughter, a brutal betrayal of a step-father, and a betrayal of a community to an innocent and vulnerable child. Once I started reading this story, I could not put it down no matter how much I wanted to in certain parts. I am glad the author wrote this book as it has the potential to help other children in abusive situations, but I am sorry the author had to endure such hell on earth....more

Do not read this if you cannot handle HEARTBREAK! It is a terribly sad story in which some people may have found had a happy enough ending. I do not agree, I feel that this poor woman has been robbed her entire life, not just the seventeen years she was abused. No punishment that anyone could ever think of for the monster who caused the abuse, will ever make up for the pain she has had to endure. I will never forget this heart wrenching story that will possibly give me nightmares but for which IDo not read this if you cannot handle HEARTBREAK! It is a terribly sad story in which some people may have found had a happy enough ending. I do not agree, I feel that this poor woman has been robbed her entire life, not just the seventeen years she was abused. No punishment that anyone could ever think of for the monster who caused the abuse, will ever make up for the pain she has had to endure. I will never forget this heart wrenching story that will possibly give me nightmares but for which I am eternally grateful I was recommended to read. If you are strong enough to handle a book this powerful than you should definitely read it. I feel that it is a good thing to be aware of the evil that surrounds us so that we can be ready to read warning signs and help ourselves or others that may be in need. I believe it is also a good thing for people to be able to get a reality check about the fact that life is not all roses for everyone and that there is no need to complain about everyday mundane things, for example, running out of milk is NOT the end of the world. Okay now I'm ranting... I guess what I'm saying is that I hope there are a lot of people out there who can handle a book like this because she deserves her story be heard....more

The Little Prisoner is the book that i have the interest to read on and have been looking forward to the ending.

Jane's parentes had divorce when she was young and her mother married to another man and gave birth to three sons. Richard, the stepfather wanted to have his own daughter but unfortunately he does not have.

at the age of 4, Jane was treated as a slave of her stepfather, Richard. she was bullied and sexually abused by her stepfather and all these continue for 17 years even until she hadThe Little Prisoner is the book that i have the interest to read on and have been looking forward to the ending.

Jane's parentes had divorce when she was young and her mother married to another man and gave birth to three sons. Richard, the stepfather wanted to have his own daughter but unfortunately he does not have.

at the age of 4, Jane was treated as a slave of her stepfather, Richard. she was bullied and sexually abused by her stepfather and all these continue for 17 years even until she had her own child.

at the age of 21, Jane finally managed to escape from Richard to be with her husband, Steve and her two daughters. five years after she escaped, she finally managed to find the courage to go to the police and repoort all the cases of abusing.

Richard always make an excuse by saying that Jane had done something wrong and so, she must be punish by him. but in fact, in his mind , he just wanted to abused Jane and make himself happy.

there is once when no one is around, Richard bring Jane to the living room and told her that she had done something wrong and wanted to play a new game with her. he asked Jane to close her eyes and do not open until she was ask to do so. at the point of time, Jane could hear a 'zipped' sound. he thenn ask Jane to hold onto his 'thumb' and do it in a reciprocating mammer. which is actually his penis. Jane knew it was something other than his thumb but she cannot say or do anything. because if she do that, she will be in deep trouble.

i think Richard is really a 'sick' man. i believe that if Jane is his own blood daughter, he would not treat her in this way but such abuse still do happen in the world. i know it was impossible if there is not such thing happening in this world so i hope that at least this kind of sad cases can be reduces.

from this book, i have learn not to keep everything deep inside ny heart. we should share our feelings with our good friends instead and we will actually feel much more better. by keeping everything in our heart, there will be one day that we cannot take it and we will breakdown. perhaps we will think of suiciding which is actually not worth it. god gave us our life and it isn't right for us to end it early than it actually is.

It's difficult to find the right words to describe the impact of books like this one. Sadness, for sure, that this ever happened and still does happen to people. Pride, perhaps, that "Jane" plucked up the courage to come forward. A combination of confusion, anger, and sadness that her relatives came together and not only stood behind Richard but also physically attacked Jane for speaking up.

I think one of the most important lessons to take from this book is a deeper understanding of victims' staIt's difficult to find the right words to describe the impact of books like this one. Sadness, for sure, that this ever happened and still does happen to people. Pride, perhaps, that "Jane" plucked up the courage to come forward. A combination of confusion, anger, and sadness that her relatives came together and not only stood behind Richard but also physically attacked Jane for speaking up.

I think one of the most important lessons to take from this book is a deeper understanding of victims' state of mind in regard to the abuse they are/were subject to. It's so easy to judge victims when they refuse or are reluctant to come forward with their story and identify their attackers. Undeniably, I've thought this way in the past, completely forgetting to speculate the reasons behind the reluctance. The Little Prisoner shows (with shocking detachment, might I add) the psychological trauma, fear, and the destruction of any form of self-esteem that are the result of years of abuse. As stated in the book, you can't overcome a lifetime of fear overnight.

One thing that I'm really interested in finding out is Richard's background. Yes, what he did was horrendous and disgusting, and he seems like an evil person. However, I don't believe that people are born inherently evil. Something had to have happened to him in the past for him to have turned out the way he did. And is there even a shred of humanity left in him? He just seems completely cold-hearted and lives to terrorize people around him. Is it possible for a person to get to such a state that they're completely devoid of empathy and kindness? Obviously, the only way to find out these answers is if Richard were to swallow a heavy dose of veritaserum.

It's a sad story. The detached way its told, as if Jane were just recounting normal events, adds on to its frightening effect. It's an important book to read to give victims of abuse hope that coming forward won't result in negative repercussions and that they will receive their justice....more

I'm not entirely sure how to rate this novel. The writing was a little disjointed, which I found a little disconcerting, but I understand this is due to the mixed up nature of the author's memories. I don't want to rate it any higher than 3 stars because I did not enjoy this book. It wasn't anything to do with the writing, but the subject matter; it was hard to read. The author writes in the prologue that she 'suspects that the audiences for books like The Little Prisoner fall into two categorieI'm not entirely sure how to rate this novel. The writing was a little disjointed, which I found a little disconcerting, but I understand this is due to the mixed up nature of the author's memories. I don't want to rate it any higher than 3 stars because I did not enjoy this book. It wasn't anything to do with the writing, but the subject matter; it was hard to read. The author writes in the prologue that she 'suspects that the audiences for books like The Little Prisoner fall into two categories....those who come from stable, happy homes who can't understand how anyone can abuse a child and want to find out about a world they can barely imagine...[or]those who suffered something similar themselves and find some comfort in discovering they are not alone in the world'. I fall into the former category, and for that reason, I find it incredibly difficult to deal with the things detailed in this book, especially how human beings can be quite so inherently evil. However, it serves a lessen to us all, that appearances can be deceptive. I really admire the author for having the courage to break free from her abuser, the strength to go through a court prosecution of him for his crimes, and the tenacity to detail it for the education of some, and to help others....more

When Jane Elliott was four years old, the nightmare began. She became the helpless victim of a sociopath—bullied, dominated, and sexually abused by a man only fourteen years her senior: her stepfather. For nearly two decades she was held prisoner, both physically and emotionally. But at the age of twenty-one she escaped . . . and then she fought back.

The Little Prisoner is the shocking, astonishing, and ultimately uplifting true story of one woman's shattering twenty-year ordeal—and how she triuWhen Jane Elliott was four years old, the nightmare began. She became the helpless victim of a sociopath—bullied, dominated, and sexually abused by a man only fourteen years her senior: her stepfather. For nearly two decades she was held prisoner, both physically and emotionally. But at the age of twenty-one she escaped . . . and then she fought back.

The Little Prisoner is the shocking, astonishing, and ultimately uplifting true story of one woman's shattering twenty-year ordeal—and how she triumphed against an evil and violent human monster when honesty and bravery were her only weapons.

It is really hard to rate this book a 4 or 5. Not that it isn't well written but the content is horrific to read. What Jane Elliott was made to endure for 20 years is incomprehensible. At times, I thought I should not keep reading this as it explains the "favors" she was made to endure. I will say this book in graphic in detail and contains language. As hard as it was to read for me, I cannot imagine having to have endured it.

I read this book as a suggestion from good reads because of reading a Child Called It. Jane Elliott actually came forward with her story after reading Dave Pelzer's book.

This book produced a lot of varied emotions - disgust, sadness, true evil, triumph, perseverance etc....more

The little prisoner by Jane Elliot is a true story of a girl who was sexually abused by her stepfather for 17 years.

Jane’s nightmares started when her stepfather showed her how much he hate her & treated her as a slave, beating & shouting on her all hte time.Then the nightmares became worse when he started to have six with her.

Jane kept this horrible secret & didn’t tell any one about it because her stepfather was threatening her all thI'll post the review for this book from my blog:

The little prisoner by Jane Elliot is a true story of a girl who was sexually abused by her stepfather for 17 years.

Jane’s nightmares started when her stepfather showed her how much he hate her & treated her as a slave, beating & shouting on her all hte time.Then the nightmares became worse when he started to have six with her.

Jane kept this horrible secret & didn’t tell any one about it because her stepfather was threatening her all the time that he would kill her and her mother if she told any creatuer in this world. She lived as a prisoner for her nightmares & her stepfather’s abuse for so long.

Few years later, Jane met a boy called Goe and they fell in love. Jane and Goe had their 1st baby which was a girl. Jane thought that her life would be better after she have got her 1st baby , but unfortunately, her stepfather started to give her full sex after he knew that she has lost her virginity. Jane and Goe realtionship’s didn’t last for long and they broke up. Then,Jane ran away with her daughter and boyfriend and started a new life in hidden for another 5years before she found the courage to go to the police.

Fantastic, well written book! Heart wrenching, sick tale of a young girl and her life long mental, physical and sexual abuse. It's hard to read because of the terrors it talks about, it's sad and sickening. However you are spurred on to read to the end as you know the main character, Jane, has survived and has broken free of her abuser and become strong enough to write this book. So throughout reading the book you are well aware there is a happy ending which makes you read on. It's also very sadFantastic, well written book! Heart wrenching, sick tale of a young girl and her life long mental, physical and sexual abuse. It's hard to read because of the terrors it talks about, it's sad and sickening. However you are spurred on to read to the end as you know the main character, Jane, has survived and has broken free of her abuser and become strong enough to write this book. So throughout reading the book you are well aware there is a happy ending which makes you read on. It's also very sad, not just because of the abuse, but because of how her family treat her after she tells the truth about the man that not only controlled her life but everyone elses too. It's a very sad thing to realise that people, even close family like your Mum and brothers, can treat someone in this way. It's a bit jumpy but as Jane says before she gets into the story that she can't remember things in order and probably can't remember everything which has happened. You are told to expect this before you read so it's easily forgivable. It's written in short paragraphs, which are easy to read, even if content isn't. A good read but not for the faint hearted....more

I read this book in just a few hours because I could not put it down. I had to see the story through and know that Jane's tormentor received the justice he so badly deserved. I could not have gotten a wink of sleep tonight had I not known the outcome. What she suffered through, not only as a child but through her whole life, just begged belief. I ached for her as I read her story and tears came to my eyes many times. I wish her all the best and hope she's happy now. She deserves that so much.

Not having read Pelzer's books, the only thing I have read to compare with reading this book is Jennings Michael Burch's "They Cage the Animals at Night". Is difficult to believe that one that suffered every form of abuse (verbal, mental, physical, & sexual) to such a degree could survive for so long. All forms of child abuse are horrible, & made worse when the other parent, relatives, or neighbors, turn a blind eye. That her stepfather held such fear & control over not only the famiNot having read Pelzer's books, the only thing I have read to compare with reading this book is Jennings Michael Burch's "They Cage the Animals at Night". Is difficult to believe that one that suffered every form of abuse (verbal, mental, physical, & sexual) to such a degree could survive for so long. All forms of child abuse are horrible, & made worse when the other parent, relatives, or neighbors, turn a blind eye. That her stepfather held such fear & control over not only the family, but anyone that could have helped, over the community, & that the author still has to fear from the rest of the family instead of having their gratitude indicates something very wrong with society.He did not get near what he deserved. We can only hope that he passes away in prison that she may not have to face his wrath when he is released....more

found it harrowing and lefted me feeling distressed . Writing was dis-jointed and did not always flow very well . There were sections of her life that were skimmed over and needed to go into more detail .

I hope ' silly Git' gets what he deserves and he never gets his freedom given to him

to the author I hope you are able to find peace in your life and enjoy the simple things in life .

Wow... This book was hard to read. The abuse this woman suffered at the hands of her stepfather is probably one of the worst cases I've ever heard about. I can't imagine the pain she went through and is still going through. It bothered me a little that it's written under a pen name. It bothered me because I feel if she wanted to punish him even more and make the world (this case takes place in the United Kingdom. It doesn't specify where and it's one of my complaints about the book because I didWow... This book was hard to read. The abuse this woman suffered at the hands of her stepfather is probably one of the worst cases I've ever heard about. I can't imagine the pain she went through and is still going through. It bothered me a little that it's written under a pen name. It bothered me because I feel if she wanted to punish him even more and make the world (this case takes place in the United Kingdom. It doesn't specify where and it's one of my complaints about the book because I didn't realize that until about two thirds of the way through the book) know about how sick this guy (and his family) is. I do get that she wants her privacy and to protect her children's lives but I think it might make it important for more people to know what this guy did.

Overall it was a good book and I was glad that she finally stood up (somewhat) to this man who had brought so much pain into her life....more

“If you have been a slave all your life, used to being ordered about and abused from the moment you wake up to the moment you go to sleep, it’s impossible to adjust to normal life overnight. I had never been free to make my own decisions before and had no idea how to do it. I was like a bird that has been bred in captivity suddenly being released into the wild: I fell apart.”
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